PREPARING SPELLS
With this variant, spellcasters still prepare spells as normal (assuming they normally prepare spells). In effect, casters who prepare spells are setting their list of “spells known” for the day. They need not prepare multiple copies of the same spell, since they can cast any combination of their prepared spells each day (up to the limit of their spell points).
For example, a 4th-level wizard with an Intelligence score of 16, when using the spell point system, would prepare four 0-level spells, four 1st-level spells (three plus her bonus spell for high Int) and three 2nd-level spells (two plus her bonus spell for high Int). These spells make up her entire list of spells that she can cast during the day, though she can cast any combination of them, as long as she has sufficient spell points.

Bonus Spell Points and Bonus Spells
Any spellcaster who would normally receive bonus spells for a high ability-score receives bonus spell points instead. In effect, the character can simply cast more of her spells each day.
To determine the number of bonus spell points gained from a high ability score, first find the row for the character’s ability score on Table: Bonus Spell Points. Use whichever ability score would normally award bonus spells for the character’s class (Wisdom for clerics and druids, Intelligence for wizards, and so forth).

Next, find the coulumn for the highest level of spell the characrer is capable of casting based on her class level (even if she doesn’t have a high enough ability score to cast spells of that level). At the point where the row and coulumn intersect, you find the bonus spell points a character gains. This value can change each time her ability score undergoes a permanent change (such as from an ability score increase due to character level or one from a wish spell) and each time her level changes.

For example, the 4th-level wizard with an Intelligence score of 16 is capable of casting 2nd-level spells. The number on Table: Bonus Spell Points at the intersection of the 16-17 row and the 2nd column is 4, so she has 4 extra spell points each day (in addition to the 11 points she gets from being a 4th-level wizard). If her Intelligence were increased to 20 because of fox’s cunning spell or a Headband of Intellect +4, she wouldn’t gain any additional bonus spell points, since those effects produce temporary changes, not permanent changes. However, when she reaches 5th level, her bonus spell points would increase from 4 to 9 (since she is now capable of casting 3rd-level spells and thus uses that column), and her overall total would increase from 15 to 25.

A character who would normally receive bonus spells from a class feature (such as from wizard specialization or access to a domain) can instead prepare extra spells of the appropriate levels, domains, and/or shcools. The character doesn’t get any extra spell points (and thus can’t cast any more spell than normal), but the added flexibility of being able to use the bonus spell more than once per day makes up for that.

For instance, a specialist wizard can prepare one extra spell from the chosen school of each spell level that she can cast. A cleric can prepare one domain spell (chosen from amond his domain spells available) of each spell level that he can cast.

For example, if the previous 4th-level wizard were an evoker, she could prepare one additional spell per level, but that spell would have to be from the evocation school. Once it is prepared, she can use that spell just like any of her other spells, casting it as often as she has spell points.

Another example: At 1st level, a cleric gains a bonus 1st-level spell, which must be selected from one of his two domains. Once it is prepared, he can use that domain spell just like any of his other spells, casting it as often as he has spell points.

For class features that grant bonus spells of a nonfixed spell lecel (such as the dragon disciple’s bonus spells), the character instead gains a number of bonus spell points equal to twice the highest spell level he can cast, minus 1 (minimun 1 point) each time he gains a bonus spell. This is a fixed value – it doesn’t increase later as the character gains levels – though later rewards may be larger as appropriate to the character’s spellcasting ability.

For example, a 4th-level fighter/4th-level sorcerer who gains a level of dragon disciple gets a bonus spell. Since the character is capable of casting 2nd-level spells, she receives 3 bonus spells points (22=4, 4-1=3).

Spontaneous Spellcasting
Characters who cast all their spells spontaneously – such as bards and sorcerers – don’t have to prepare spells. They can cast any spell they know by spending the requisite number of spell points.
Characters with the ability to cast a limited nimber of spells spontaneously (such as druids, who can spontaneously cast a summon nature’s ally spell in place of another spell of the same level) are always treated as having those spells prepared, without spending any spell slots to do so. Thus they can cast such spells any time they have sufficien spell points.

Under this sytem, the Healing domain becomes a relatively poor choice for good-aligned clerics, since they gain less of a benefit for that domain. See Spontaneous Divine Casters for ways to solve that dilemma.

Regaining Spell Points
Spellcasters regain lost spell ponts whenever they could normally regain spells. Doing this requires the same amount of rest and preparation or concentration time as normal for the class. Without this period of rest and mental preparation, the caster’s mind isn’t ready to regain its power. Spell points are not divorced from the body; they are part of it. Using spell points is mentally tiring, and without the requisite preriod of rest, they do not regenerate. Any spell points spelnt within the last 8 hours count against a character’s daily limit and aren’t regained.
CASTING SPELLS
Each spell costs a cetain number of spell points to cast. The higher the level of the spell, the more points it costs. Table: Spell Point Costs describes each spell’s cost.
Table: Spell Point CostsSpell Level Spell Point Cost
0 01
1st 1
2nd 3
3rd 5
4th 7
5th 9
6th 11
7th 13
8th 15
9th 17
1 0-level spells cost no spell points to cast. If a spellcaster is capable of casting 0-level spells, she can cast a number of 0-level spells each day equal to three + the number of spell points gained by that class at 1st level.

Spellcasters use their full normal caster level for determining the effect of their spells in this system, with one significant exception. Spells that deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as magic missile, searing light, or lightning bolt) deal damage as if cast by a character of the minimum level of the class capable of casting the spell. Spells whose damage is partially based on caster level, but that don’t deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as produce flame or an inflict spell) use the spellcaster’s normal caster level to determine damage. Use the character’s normal caster level for all other effects, including range and duration.

For example, a fireball deals a number of dice of damage based on the caster’s level, so when cast by a wizard using this system, it deals 5d6 points of damage (as if cast by a 5th-level wizard, which is the minimum level of wizard capable of casting fireball). A sorcerer who casts the same spell deals 6d6 points of damage, since the minimum level of sorcerer capable of casting fireball is 6th.

A character can pay additional spell points to increase the dice of damage dealt by a spell. Every 1 extra spell point spent at the time increases the spells effective caster level by 1 for purposes of dealing damage. A character can’t increase a damage-dealing spell’s caster level above her own caster level, or above the normal maximum allowed by the spell.

For example, even at 7th level, a wizard’s lightning bolt deals only 5d6 points of damage (just like a 5th-level wizard) unless she spends extra spell points. If she spends 1 extra spell point (making the lighting bolt cost 6 points rather than 5), the spell deals 6d6 points of damage. A second extra spell point would increase the damage to 7d6 points, but she can’t spend more points than this, since her caster level is only 7th. Were she 10th level or higher, she could spend a maximum of 5 extra spell points on this spell, raising the damage up to 10d6, the maximum allowed for a lighting bolt spell.

Similarly, her magic missile spell only shoots one missile unless she spends extra spell points. An extra 2 spell points increases the caster level from 1st to 3rd, granting her one additional missile. She can spend a maximum of 6 additional spell points in this manner, increasing her effective caster level to 7th for damage purposes and granting her a total of four missiles. If she were 9th level or higher, she could spend a maximum of 8 extra spell points, granting her five missiles (just like a 9th-level caster).

METAMAGIC AND SPELL POINTS
In the spell point system, a DM has two options for how to adjudicate metamagic effects. In either case, casters need not specially prepare metamagic versions of their spells – they can simply choose to apply the metamagic effect at the time of casting. Doing this does not increase the spells casting time.
The first option is to apply an additional spell point cost to any spell cast with a metamagic feat. This option allows a character maximum flexibility in her choice of spellcasting. Effectively, the character must pay for the spell as if it were a higher-level spell, based on the adjustment from the metamagic feat. If the metamagic effect(s) would increase the spell’s effective level above what she is capable of casting, she can’t cast the spell in that way.

For example, a 7th level wizard is capable og casting 4th-level spells. She could empower a 2nd-level spell, or still a 3rd-level spell, or empower and still a 1st-level spell. She couldn’t empower a 3rd-level spell or still a 4th-level spell (since doing either of those things would raise either spell’s effective spell level to 5th).

The spell’s caster level for purposes of damage-dealing effects (see above) doesn’t change, even if the metamagic effect increases the minimum caster level of that spell. For instance, a quickened fireball still deals damage as if cast by a 5th-level caster unless the caster chooses to pay additional spell points to increase the caster level.

For example, if a wizard empowered her magic missile it would cost her 5 spell points (as if it were a 3rd-level spell) but would shoot only one missile and deal (1d4+1)1.5 points of damage. If she spend an additional 6 spell points (for a total of 11), the caster level of the magic missile would increase to 7th, and the spell would shoot four missiles dealing a total of (4d4+4)*1.5 points of damage.

The second option is simpler but less flexible. In this option, each selection of a metamagic feat allows a character to apply the feat’s effect three times per day at no additional spell point cost. The normal limit for maximum spell level applies (a 7th-level wizard can’t empower a spell higher than 2nd level, for instance).

You could even combine these options, allowing a spellcaster with a metamagic feat to use the feat three times per day for free, but any additional uses in the same day would cost extra spell points. Only choose this combination approach if you’re comfortable with characters throwing around a lot of metamagic spells.

MULTICLASS SPELLCASTERS
A character with nonstacking spellcasting ability from multiple classes (such as a cleric/wizard) has a separate pool of spell points for each spellcasting class. Such characters may only spend spell points on spells granted by that class. Bonus spell points from a high ability score apply to each pool separately, even if the same ability score is tied to more than one spellcasting class. In the rare situations when a character has prepared or knows the same spell in two different slots (such as a druid/ranger preparing delay poison as both a 2nd-level druid spell and a 1st-level ranger spell), the character can cast the spell using either pool of spell points, but the spell is treated as being cast by a caster of the level of the class from which the spell points are drawn.
For example, a 5th-level cleric/2nd-level bard has 15 spell points (plus bonus spell points for high Wisdom) for his cleric spells and 0 spell points (plus bonus spell points for high Charisma) for his bard spells. When he casts cure moderate wounds, the points for that spell must be drawn from his pool of cleric spell points. If he knows cure light wounds as a bard spell and has also prepared it as a cleric spell, he may cast it either as a cleric or as a bard. As a cleric spell, the spell is cast at 5th level and heals 1d8+5 points of damage; as a bard spell, it is cast at 2nd level and heals 1d8+2 points of damage.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
When a character would lose a spell slot (such as from gaining a negative level), he instead loses the number of spell points required to cast his highest level spell.
Spells that allow a character to recall or recast a spell don’t function in this system. (It doesn’t make any sense to have a spell that gives you more spell points, since you’re either paying more than you get, getting nothing, or getting more than you paid.) Items that function similarly can work, but differently – they restore a number of spell points required to cast a spell of that level. A Pearl of Power for 3rd-level spells, for instance, would restore 5 spell points to a character’s pool of available points when activated.